Stackable receptacles



Dec. 13, 1955 G. BERGENDAL STACKABLE RECEPTACLES Filed Dec. 5, 1950 United States Patent STACKABLE RECEPIACLES Gunnar Bergendal, Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden Application December 5, 1950, Serial No. 199,226 Claims priority, application Sweden October 21, 1950 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-97) This invention relates to small shallow receptacles of the kind adapted to receive small quantities of liquid or solid matters from larger containers.

One object of the invention is to provide such receptacles which may be mounted in a pile having a minimum height and which easily may be removed individually from the pile and freely mounted on a plane base for the intended use.

Another object of the invention is to provide such receivers which are simple to manufacture and require a minimum of material.

The invention will hereinafter be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

On said drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a munber of receptacles according to the invention in side elevation and superimposed in inversed position for forming a pile.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the pile in Fig. I mounted in a stand.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the stand in Fig. 2 and parts of the receptacles in side elevation.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the receptacles mounted in position for use on a plane base in the form of a table top or the like.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the receptacle shown in Fig. 4.

As may be seen from Figs. 4 and 5 each receptacle is constructed with walls 2 converging downwardly from the margin 1 of the receptacle, and with two flaps 3 extending obliquely outwards and downwards from two opposed sides of margin 1 to a plane at a lower level than the bottommost point of the receptacle proper, so that said flaps 3 may support the receptacle on a plane base 4. Although flaps 3 in the form shown terminate a distance below the receptacle proper, said flaps if desired may be somewhat shorter so that the bottom ends thereof will be situated substantially in the same horizontal plane as the bottommost point of the receptacle proper.

Due to the fact that the receptacle illustrated is free at both longitudinal edges it may easily and firmly be grasped thereat between two fingers and moved or put aside.

Furthermore, due to the fact that the receptacles are constructed with converging walls and inclined flaps, a plurality of said receptacles may be superimposed to form a pile of minimum height as shown in Figs. 1-3. In such superimposing the receptacles are piled in inversed position so that they may be individually grasped at one of the flaps 3, inverted and placed in the position of use shown in Fig. 4.

Te receptacles 1 are preferably piled in a stand 5 in the form of a box open at one end and there provided with abutments, preferably in the form of two flaps bent inwardly and occupying the same angular position as the flaps 3. Said abutments 6 prevent the lowermost receptacle from leaving stand 5 should the latter be inclined while the remaining receptacles are prevented from the leaving stand 5 solely by their flaps 3.

The flaps 3 serving as handles and supporting legs according to the foregoing may also be used for identifying the receptacles by providing the flaps with marks, digits, characters or the like or by painting the flaps with characteristic colours.

If the receptacles when used must be sterile, then the piling according to Figs. 1 and 3 is very suitable as the interior of the receptacles is entirely protected in keeping or removing the receptacles. Sterilization may be efiected by having the receptacles piled in the stand and requires, therefore, a minimum of space.

I claim:

A container of rigid material for receiving small quantities of material for medical use comprising a rectangular cup having longitudinal walls and end walls converging towards the bottom and a surrounding marginal flange projecting laterally from the top margin of the cup, said marginal flange existing only at the end sides of the cup having downwardly bent extensions of such length as to form legs for supporting the cup on a surface, the inclination of said extensions being such that when a plurality of containers are piled on each other in an inverted position with the extensions of an upper container bearing on the extensions of the subjacent container, there remains a small continuous space between each adjacent receptacle throughout the whole area of the proper cup and its marginal flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,364,556 Hurtf Ian. 4, 1921 1,538,978 Fleming May 27, 1925 1,673,812 Dunn June 19, 1928 2,007,523 Emery July 9, 1935 2,071,394 Douglas Feb. 23, 1937 2,229,102 Leslie Jan. 21, 1941 2,352,684 Braddock July 4, 1944 2,358,709 Hayn Sept. 19, 1944 2,493,633 Mart Jan. 3, 1950 

